anamnesis
by cherry mist
Summary: Like faded film, the certain today will eventually grow hazy. Time never waits, the bond between us will grow into something we both never expected. *CONTAINS SPOILERS* Ryu Hayabusa x Kasumi
1. It's Time

This is the first fanfic I posted here, featuring one of my favorite videogame Dead Or Alive, and my favorite pairing of the game, Ryu Hayabusa and Kasumi.

As for the title, "Anamnesis", it's named after a song by Annabel, an ending song for an anime series called Another. I suggest you try listen to that song~

Disclaimer: I own nothing, all credits to Tecmo/Koei and Team Ninja.

Well, please enjoy~ ^^

* * *

**anamnesis**

Chapter 1: It's Time

Cool green eyes, calm and stoic face, tall and strong body. He was one perfect ninja, he made no sound as he watched her unaccompanied figure from few meters behind. He was a ninja, yet he resembled a dragon, which was why he was known as the Dragon Ninja. Not just a dragon, but also a peregrine falcon. Ryu Hayabusa, his name.

He wasn't recognizable, but she did recognize him. She, too, was a very professional ninja indeed.

Or perhaps, hiding his own existence wasn't his intention in the first place.

"Hayabusa-san? Why are you here?" She asked.

Like how he usually was, he didn't answer. Still staring at her with no special expression in his face.

Just then, anxiety hit her. Maybe... he was going to kill her? Like, why not? Why won't he be helping his best friend- her brother? She broke the shinobi code, she really did and she noticed that. She 'abandoned' her clan... for a reason, but all that mattered was that she has broken the shinobi code and she had to die. The super ninja Ryu Hayabusa has got no reason to refuse helping the Mugen Tenshin clan to assassinate Kasumi after what she did.

And, who wouldn't fear the possibilities of getting killed by the well-known super ninja? You may say he was close to the definition of sadistic, merciless, and inhuman.

"I know what I must do," he finally said, as if he could read her mind. "I've promised Hayate and I will keep it unconditionally."

Bingo. He was going to kill her, wasn't he?

"Hayabusa-san... Please," her voice was very soft, almost a whisper. "You can kill me... But please let me avenge my brother before you do."

"That's not what I meant." He said with stern voice. "I never said that I came here to kill you."

She turned to face him. He still kept the same expressionless face, she really couldn't read him.

"Instead, I'm taking the opposite duty."

"Umm... What do you mean?"

"I'm here to protect you."

"What?" She couldn't believe what she just heard. But now that she thought of it, Ryu Hayabusa never lied, or at least never to her. And he showed no sign of lies on those sentences.

"I'm protecting you." He repeated.

"B-But why..."

"I promised to Hayate. I cannot let you die." He said with a-matter-of-fact tone.

My brother... "I... broke the shinobi code..."

"I know." Right then, his voice somehow showed... sympathy? Or maybe it was just her. "But from what I remember, I promised to him that I will protect you no matter what. "

"But, what if... What if Mugen Tenshin ninjas come after your head too? You will become an enemy to them, to my brother..."

"Then so be it." He walked past her, "enough with the talking, let's go."

"Hayabusa-san!" She called out. "You really don't have to..."

He slightly tilted his face. "Raidou hurt my best friend. How could I pretend as if that's none of my business? We both know what it feels like seeing him in such state."

He was right. He was just better than her at keeping his head cold, but inside, he was burning out. He hated how Raidou harmed Hayate and other ninjas for such selfish reason.

"I will clear your way to Raidou," he said calmly. "Then, you finish him for Hayate. Remembering how beaten up Hayate was, Raidou must be one troublesome enemy, but I'm with you."

"Hayabusa-san..." The way he said those few last words might lead to romantic way, but it wasn't the right time to think about such lovey-dovey thingy.

As soon when they arrived at the tournament, they were greeted by a kick. Ryu stood in front of Kasumi and blocked the kick as if it was an easy thing to do. "Well, I guess we're a little late." Ryu said with calm voice.

Kasumi peeked from behind Ryu's tall figure. It was a Chinese guy who aimed a kick to her face. Not far behind that aggressive Chinese guy was another Chinese, but a girl.

"Hey, Jann Lee! You almost hit the wrong target! The girl is my opponent! You fight your own opponent." The Chinese girl yelled from behind.

"Keep protesting, Lei Fang," he replied. Seemed like it was going to be a tag fight, looking at the condition.

After hours of battles, and opponents falling behind, Raidou was just ahead. Until then, Kasumi was unharmed at all. Ryu took almost all of numerous attacks given to her, but he managed to either block or counter them.

"Kasumi... Are you hurt?" Ryu asked, he was still trying to catch his breath.

Kasumi was not as exhausted as he was- or how he seemed was. She shook her head, "no, not at all."

"That's good."

"You fought all of them, are you okay?" She asked worriedly. "Did you get hit? Please don't push yourself..." Thanks to him, she didn't drain much stamina. But she was worried about him.

"Not as much as I hit," he answered. "I'm okay, I've fought more than this before."

Yeah right, we all know he has fought from rookies to demons.

"It's time."

Heavy steps could be heard. Ryu and Kasumi looked to see their next opponent. Raidou. With his ugly, evil, and hateful smirk. "Oh, it's you. Kasumi isn't it? And the dragon ninja Ryu Hayabusa?"

Kasumi noticed how Ryu glared at him and how he looked like a blood-thirst. He would've drawn his dragon sword and stab Raidou in the head. Unfortunately for him, using weapons were not allowed in the tournament. "You pay for what you did to Hayate and the Mugen Tenshin clan, now."

"You're staining your name, dragon ninja." Raidou's devilish smirk has not fade away. "Why waste your time and skill on helping the clan with such weak leader?"

"My brother is not weak." Kasumi denied it immediately.

"He is weak." Raidou said. "Oh, that reminds me... You are a nukenin, aren't you, little girl?"

Anger filled Kasumi, she teleported and tried to kick Raidou, but he was fast enough to catch her foot and threw her. Ryu quickly saved Kasumi from hitting wall roughly.

"Control yourself, Kasumi! You're only being careless!"

Raidou smirked. That time, Ayane and Hayate were like that too, they were all the same, controlled by their anger. 'They are all careless rookies.' He laughed, but then he noticed, Ryu Hayabusa was a threat to him. That ninja knew being mad would ruin technique and unfold more weakness spots, and that was why he stayed as calm as he could be. 'Ryu Hayabusa needs to be disposed.'

"I challenge you for a duel," Raidou said.

Ryu glared back at Raidou. "I'll accept that challenge."

Raidou frowned. 'No, fighting Ryu Hayabusa would take too much time and energy.'

"No!" Kasumi almost yelled. Ryu stopped and turned his face slightly to look at her. "I left the clan to fight him. If you fight him instead, my decision will be futile... That's why I have to fight him."

Ryu thought of it for a while. Should he trust her to fight Raidou? This old man in front of them was not weak, if anything happened to Kasumi it would be his responsibility for he has promised his best friend. Then again, she got a point.

"Hayabusa-san?"

Ryu finally nodded, hoping it wasn't a mistake. 'She's trained enough, trust her...'

Relieved, Kasumi slightly smiled with gratitude and walked past him to face Raidou. But while she was passing him, he whispered to her ear, "be careful. He might has planned something."

Kasumi nodded slightly. Ryu was still watching her, he was worried enough to run around with the dragon sword in his hand and cut Raidou into pieces until the corpse was unrecognizable, but he shouldn't interfere Kasumi.

Raidou smirked. "Well then? Let's move to other place."

Both Raidou and Kasumi were teleported to a place spacious enough. "H-Huh?" Kasumi looked around to find her guardian nowhere. "Hayabusa-san?"

"This is a duel, but I'm sure he will surely go crazy for every damage you take."

While back in Ryu's place. "Kasumi!" He could neither feel her presence nor Raidou's. "Damn, where did he take her to..." He looked around and found a CCTV. Maybe he could locate them via CCTV.

He quickly ran to the lab, he remember seeing the lab somewhere. 'Endure long enough, Kasumi!'

Back to the battle. Ryu was right, now that Kasumi controlled herself and try her best to read Raidou's movements, Raidou was pretty much disadvantaged. He may be strong and fast, but she could counter his attacks and found weak spots.

'This girl is reading my movements...' He took the defensive position and try to read her movements. 'And she's deceiving when I read her mind. What she does is not as what she planned.'

Kasumi remembered what her father once taught her. When fighting someone focused enough to read one's mind, then don't think. Just fight by your instinct and trust your nature.

"This is boring," Raidou said, hiding his worries of losing to her. He was starting to cast the Torn Sky Blast and laugh hysterically.

Kasumi used her own Torn Sky Blast too. Not knowing that she might end up just like Hayate.

But her instinct told her to do so.

They were equal at first, but then Kasumi started to struggle. 'I can't fail!'

Raidou was still laughing hysterically while abruptly a kunai was thrown just passing his face, causing him to lose concentration and thrown back by Kasumi's ninpo. His heavy body hit the electricity mains causing him to get shocked and a blackout. But can be said, Raidou died after receiving such a heavy damage.

"Kasumi!" Ryu called out in the dark.

Kasumi was just about to answer him and suddenly someone hit her head and her vision blurred out. There was another person there, and that person has been targeting her all the way.

Ryu's eyes adapted fast, but not fast enough to find Kasumi anywhere... or more precisely she was gone too fast. The girl was nowhere to be found but a yellow ribbon was left.

She was kidnapped.

* * *

Okay that was short. But there's still x chapters to go~ xD

And for those who said that this pairing could never happen...

Actually that Ryu and Irene Lew thingy really happened, but just in the NES game. The good-graphic(?) Ninja Gaiden and Dead Or Alive series up until now are a reboot of the NES game, the story was a remake. So basically Ryu and Irene were not married since the story was renewed. In Ninja Gaiden 2, it was more likely Irene is in one-sided love with Ryu just like how Rachel is (and these two are burdens in those game... -_-). Ryu shows more care towards Kasumi, I take that he's the canon pairing for Kasumi (as much as I remember, main heroine always gets canon couple in fighting games.)

That's what I think...

Ohh and especially Ryu's worry-not-Kasumi voice~


	2. Dear Old Life

Sorry for the long delay...

I finally had the time to continue this~ I've been busy with school (and watching too many animes... orz)

Oh and thanks for the reviews, みんな大好き XD

* * *

**anamnesis**

Chapter 2: Dear Old Life

_'Shiden... Hayate... Kasumi... I...'_

It was a cold, stormy night with downpour soaking the ground. Far in the woods, there the beautiful woman was kidnapped and hid in a small house.

_'Why isn't there anyone to help?'_

Worse than that, her clothes have been ripped, and a malicious man was laughing at her.

_'Why?'_

-o-o-o-

When Kasumi opened her brown eyes, she was already somewhere she didn't know... maybe a laboratory, and few experiment things were labeled with the word 'DOATEC'. But why would someone take her to a lab, she wondered. And what could DOATEC be? She had tried to open a door in front of her, but it would not open. Teleportation was also useless here, she couldn't teleport. She sighed, perhaps waiting here until someone came would be better.

_'But where's Hayabusa-san?'_ He might have been real mad that she got kidnapped... _'I've troubled him too much, I wouldn't dare to face him now...'_

Ryu Hayabusa might be a calm and stoic person, but once he was angry, all hell would broken loose. Kasumi had once seen him getting mad when they were still much younger than now, and that was one of the _scariest_ day she had been through.

_'What should I do now?'_

"Yeah, what should you do?"

A voice startled her. It was none other than _her_ voice, but she could swear she didn't say anything. She turned and found a girl- with her face and all.

"Who are you...?" Kasumi asked.

"Who am _I_?" The other girl laughed, "I am _you_."

Kasumi shook her head, "it can't be." She noticed some files in a table. _'Alpha? Clones? They created clones of me...!?'_

"Oh, and you know what? Our brother might be here somewhere around~" The clone, Alpha smirked.

"Brother? You mean..." _'What are they going to do with him!?'_ "Let go of my brother!"

"_My_? Aw, you can't monopolize him!" And then she laughed maniacally. "He's not just _your_ brother, he's _our_ brother. I'm part of you, after all."

Kasumi took a battle stance, "how dare you, impostor!"

-o-o-o-

Meanwhile, in the other room of DOATEC lab, a brown haired man was holding his head in his hands. He felt very dizzy.

"... Where am I...?"

He looked around. He didn't even remember his name and his identity, what happened to him? He sighed. Did he get hit in the head and suffered amnesia? If that was the case, then why would someone take him to a laboratory instead of hospital?

Then, another flashback hit him. It was vague, but he could remember one name.

"Kasumi..."

But who is this Kasumi? His mother? Friend? Or who?

Every time memories came to his mind, vision of a ritual dancing 'Tengu' blocked it and made his head ache. As if that Tengu was the reason of his amnesia.

_'What the hell...'_

Just then, emergency alarm suddenly triggered on. _'What now!?'_ A group of people entered the room and tied him. Before he could react, he was injected with an anesthetic.

The last thing he heard before he fell unconscious was...

"Intruder detected, it's the Dragon Ninja. Evacuate the Project Epsilon to Germany. And Kasumi..."

_'...Kasumi?'_

-o-o-o-

"She's still there. You go find her." A blonde woman said while she walked back inside the helicopter. "I'll see what I can find inside that evacuation helicopter."

"Yeah." The Dragon Ninja stood in front of a window he just stroke to get in.

"Take care of yourself, Ryu."

"I know. You too, Irene."

He could feel Kasumi's presence somewhere around. She was not alone, someone with she similar presence must be around, but who could it be? Better go find her as soon as possible, she might be in danger.

_'Don't get hurt, Kasumi...'_

Ryu found her in a room... but there are _more_ than one Kasumi. One standing alone stunned, staring at other figures of herself inside massive glasses, and one lying unconscious. Of course he knew which one was Kasumi.

"Kasumi!"

She turned to him, almost like she wanted to say something but she held it.

Ignoring that she might wanted so say something, he asked. "What are these?"

"... They're clones..." She answered and looked down to her feet.

He stared at her. She seemed worried. "What's wrong? You hurt?"

"No," she shook her head. _'Should I tell him that my brother might be here? No, no... That Alpha might have given me false information.'_ "It's nothing..."

"You look worried." He turned his back. "Well, these clones are going to vanish as soon as this lab collapsed. Don't worry. Now let's get going."

"But that's not what I..."

"Then what is it?" He slightly turned his face to look at her.

She gulped and asked with low voice. "... Are you not mad at me?"

That question surprised him. _'Mad?'_ "No. Why?"

"Because I was kidnapped... Because... I kind of let my guard down...?"

No matter what, _nukenin_ or not, she's still the innocent and bold Kasumi. The old Kasumi whose brave, but timid when it's about her mistakes. "You're not at fault. It's my fault for not expecting possibilities. Now let's get going, we're not going to die crashed here."

Feeling her presence following him to get out of that building somehow made him relieved. She's alright, she's not hurt at all.

"We almost reached the exit. By the way, I heard Hayate was here."

"So it was no hoax..." Kasumi sighed.

"You knew?" Ryu asked.

She nodded. "One of the Alphas told me. I thought she gave me false information..."

"One of your clones are awake?" So that's why he felt another one's moving presence earlier.

"Yes, but I defeated her."

"Good. Hayate might have evacuated, we'll save him as soon Irene found him."

She kept quiet for a while. _'Irene?'_

As if he could read her mind, he said with stoic voice. "Irene Lew, CIA agent. You can trust her as long she doesn't paired up with bazookas."

_'Perhaps she has worked with him for a long time.'_

-o-o-o-

When Ryu and Kasumi finally reached a safer place, it was already nightfall. They were resting by a river deep inside a forest.

Kasumi sat in the bank hugging her knees. Things have been on her mind, about Hayate, about the clones, about DOATEC, about that Irene Lew person, about herself... and about Ryu. It has always been like this, Ryu found her _when no one did_. From their childhood while playing hide and seek, when she 'ran away' from the village, until just earlier when she was kidnapped.

Ryu sat beside her. "I almost forgot about this."

"Hm?" Kasumi looked up at him. When she did, he put a yellow ribbon on the top of her head. She took and stared at it for a while, her eyes consuming how precious the ribbon was to her. That ribbon was the only thing connecting her memories with Ayane after all that happened. She loved Ayane so dearly, Ayane was her best friend and after years passed, she learned that Ayane was also her half-sister.

"What have you been thinking?" Ryu asked, bringing Kasumi back from her thoughts.

She shook her head. "Nothing important."

"Maybe it is. Let me know."

She sighed. "... They never told me anything. No matter what happened, no one would tell me anything."

He listened to her while looking up at the sky.

"For example, about Ayane... Also that time when Raidou attacked. Those were incidents only I didn't know. They were always keeping everything from me, like I would make troubles."

"I think you actually would make troubles."

She glared at him. _'I'm talking about something serious right now.'_ Then, she noticed that he has taken his mask off, showing his face and his long hair.

"Don't sulk. I'm joking."

Kasumi sighed. "You can't joke. Even back then, your jokes were always awkward..."

"Hayate was no better, though."

"... What troubles do you think I would cause?"

"I don't know. Maybe running to me crying. Remember when you-"

She cut off. "That's when I was still a child. You were the only one who wouldn't laugh at me."

"... It was just a grasshopper, I was about to laugh too actually." He said nostalgically. Remembering about childhood was always one of things he liked to do.

"At least you held it back." She looked at her reflection in the river surface. "But probably, if I have known everything back then, I would have _cried_ it all out."

He nodded calmly.

"Thinking about this now, I have sacrificed a lot, haven't I?" She laughed airily. "Family, trust, life... Those times, I never noticed how precious they would be, and I carried on. Now I don't know whether to regret or glad that I have avenged my brother."

"What's done is done."

"... But I don't really know what should I do anymore..."

He patted her head. "Do anything you think is right. Even if you do wrong, go on."

"What I think is right..." She slowly nodded.

Ryu stood up. "You're not going to stay awake all night long. Go to sleep."

"You can rest first, I'll stay awake a little longer."

"No. You go to sleep. Now."

"Uhh..."

-o-o-o-

Kasumi couldn't sleep, she was still thinking too much. And finally now she silently left the place while Ryu was asleep. _'I must save my brother...'_ Beside that, her clones might still been somewhere out there. That was what she thought as a right thing to do. _'Please forgive me, I must go.'_ Without involving Ryu this time...

After she left, Ryu slowly opened his eyes. He was not asleep. _'This kid...'_

_"Ryu, promise me. No matter who you're going against, protect Kasumi."_

A peregrine falcon appeared and perched in his arm. After Ryu received its message, the bird flew away.

_"Even if it's me or Ayane who will be after her head."_

"Hayate... You're in Germany now, huh?"

_'Don't worry Hayate, I will protect her.'_

-o-o-o-

The brown haired man woke up to find himself inside a lively room. His head was still aching, but he could see a girl through his dim vision. "... Kasumi...?"

"Ah, you're up!" The girl with blue eyes exclaimed.

The man forced himself up. "Where am I? What happened...?" He remembered that last time he was in a lab... and then group of people tied him up and drugged him.

"In my house," the girl said. "I found you fainted with bruises and all, so I brought you here. How are you feeling?"

"I'm... better, I guess." He answered, massaging his forehead.

"Oh, that's good to hear." She nodded. "Ah, I almost forgot to introduce myself... My name is Hitomi, and you are?"

The man shrugged. "I don't remember myself."

"Huh? You mean... amnesia?" Hitomi doubtfully asked.

"Probably."

"Okay, that's... a big trouble. You really don't remember anything? Home address or relatives?"

"Nothing at all." _'Just a single name... Kasumi.'_

"What should I do..." She seemed to be deep in thought. "Should I take you to hospital?"

The man shook his head. He didn't want to make troubles. "No need, I think I'll remember soon."

"Really? Just a check-up might be good."

"Please don't..."

"Hmm... Okay then..." She stared at him for a while. "Umm... You can stay here until you remember something... I have extra room, and I think my dad wouldn't mind, looking at your current state."

He was quite surprised. "N-No, you don't have to..."

"Then where are you going to stay at?"

Nice question. She got him with no answer. "... I will survive..."

"Don't act tough. Just stay here, I really don't mind." She said with winning tone. "Can I call you... hmm, Ein? It means 'one' in German. Although you must be Japanese..."

He nodded. "That's fine. Thanks for everything, Hitomi."

"I didn't do anything," she smiled.

* * *

That was chapter 2~ '-')9

Feels so short after I reread this. orz

Next chapter will be delayed again due to my activities for school, but I will update as soon as I can.

(There should I give Irene Lew some helicopter crash? Hahaha jk~ itsoundsgoodtomethough)

Correct me if there are writing mistakes, please~ :)


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